Argemone glauca var. glauca is an erect, glaucous perennial herb, somewhat woody at the base. Its stems range from 70 to 150 cm in length and are suberect. These stems are typically moderately to densely covered with sharp, stiff, yellow prickles and exude bright yellow latex. The leaves are simple and alternate with oblong-elliptic blades, deeply lobed approximately halfway to three-quarters towards the midrib, measuring 8–21 cm long and 6–11 cm wide. The leaf bases are sessile, and surfaces are notably glaucous, generally featuring prickles on the veins, although these may sometimes be absent. The margins are irregularly sinuate-dentate and have teeth tipped with prickles. The leaves lack petioles and stipules. The flowers are terminal, solitary, perfect (bisexual), and actinomorphic (radially symmetric). The floral buds are oblong, ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 cm long, and can be either smooth or prickly. The calyx consists of (2)3(–6) sepals, each with a subterminal horn tipped with a prickle, horns being subterete and 3–5(–7) mm long, but are caducous. The corolla comprises six white, broadly obovate, distinct petals, each 3–5.5 cm long. There are about 70–80 stamens with pale yellow filaments and linear anthers that coil after dehiscence. The superior ovary is 3–6-carpellate and single-celled; the purple stigma is 3–7-lobed and measures 2–4 mm long at anthesis. The capsules are ovoid to lanceoloid, 3–6 cm long, and can be sparsely to densely covered with 2–6 mm long prickles. The seeds are numerous, blackish brown, dull, subglobose, 2–2.5 mm in diameter, with a reticulate surface and oily endosperm. It inhabits coastal dry forests and subalpine forests at elevations from 0-1,900 meters.